Suspended South African Football Association (Safa) vice- president Chief Mwelo Nonkonyana will be stripped of his position and dismissed tomorrow after the football body unanimously decided to kick him out.
Safa will hold its annual general congress at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg tomorrow and the Daily Dispatch can reveal that Nonkonyana’s imminent dismissal is on the agenda.
But Nonkonyana will not go away quietly as it emerged late yesterday afternoon that he is planning to go to court to stop the general congress from taking place. And if that fails, he will seek an interdict to have his dismissal removed from the agenda tomorrow.
Tough-talking Safa executive committee member Xolile Komphela said Nonkonyana had no business going to court and should accept his fate.
‘‘Nonkonyana is out of order, let me start there,” Komphela said yesterday.
‘‘Nonkonyana was elected by a Safa congress and he cannot now try to stop the same congress that elected him from discussing him. More importantly, our issues cannot be taken to a court of law until we have exhausted all internal processes.”
Fifa traditionally frowns upon football disputes going to the courts and Safa decided that he crossed an irreversible line by electing to keep going the legal route in the months of his suspension.
Nonkonyana could not be reached for comment yesterday and did not return messages left on his mobile.
The controversial Eastern Cape-born official has been at loggerheads with his colleagues since he became vice-president in September last year and exasperated Safa national exco members finally met a few days ago to decide his fate.
‘‘His fate is sealed and it is now only a matter of ratifying the decision at the general congress ,” another executive committee member said yesterday.
Nonkonyana faces accusations of disregarding the Safa communications policy after he said in print, radio and television interviews that former Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund should quit if the national team failed to reach the final of the African Nation Championships in January this year.
He was suspended in October last year for the utterances and was asked not to comment in the media again.
Never one to follow the script, he astonished his colleagues when he defiantly called an impromptu press briefing in August and pleaded with Safa to take him back into the fold.
Nonkonyana’s ascension to the vice-presidency itself was not without controversy as he was nominated to serve as deputy to both presidential candidates – Danny Jordaan and Mandla Mazibuko – in the weeks leading up to the Safa elections in September last year.
He was guaranteed to serve as vice-president no matter who won the race and he duly took up his seat as one of Safa president Jordaan’s right-hand men after the elections.
It was his penchant for making outrageous remarks that ensured he never got to stay in the job for long.
After he was suspended as Safa vice-president, he was also asked to vacate his position as the chairman of the African Nations Championship organising committee and was replaced by Molefi Oliphant in December last year.
Safa’s financials will also be on the agenda tomorrow and CEO Dennis Mumble will report a R10-million profit after reversing the R46-million deficit from the previous financial year.
The move back into the black was aided by the implementation of a series of measures that reduced costs. The signing of lucrative sponsorships also helped the books.
Safa axe may fall on Mwelo
Safa will hold its annual general congress at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg tomorrow and the Daily Dispatch can reveal that Nonkonyana’s imminent dismissal is on the agenda.
But Nonkonyana will not go away quietly as it emerged late yesterday afternoon that he is planning to go to court to stop the general congress from taking place. And if that fails, he will seek an interdict to have his dismissal removed from the agenda tomorrow.
Tough-talking Safa executive committee member Xolile Komphela said Nonkonyana had no business going to court and should accept his fate.
‘‘Nonkonyana is out of order, let me start there,” Komphela said yesterday.
‘‘Nonkonyana was elected by a Safa congress and he cannot now try to stop the same congress that elected him from discussing him. More importantly, our issues cannot be taken to a court of law until we have exhausted all internal processes.”
Fifa traditionally frowns upon football disputes going to the courts and Safa decided that he crossed an irreversible line by electing to keep going the legal route in the months of his suspension.
Nonkonyana could not be reached for comment yesterday and did not return messages left on his mobile.
The controversial Eastern Cape-born official has been at loggerheads with his colleagues since he became vice-president in September last year and exasperated Safa national exco members finally met a few days ago to decide his fate.
‘‘His fate is sealed and it is now only a matter of ratifying the decision at the general congress ,” another executive committee member said yesterday.
Nonkonyana faces accusations of disregarding the Safa communications policy after he said in print, radio and television interviews that former Bafana Bafana coach Gordon Igesund should quit if the national team failed to reach the final of the African Nation Championships in January this year.
He was suspended in October last year for the utterances and was asked not to comment in the media again.
Never one to follow the script, he astonished his colleagues when he defiantly called an impromptu press briefing in August and pleaded with Safa to take him back into the fold.
Nonkonyana’s ascension to the vice-presidency itself was not without controversy as he was nominated to serve as deputy to both presidential candidates – Danny Jordaan and Mandla Mazibuko – in the weeks leading up to the Safa elections in September last year.
He was guaranteed to serve as vice-president no matter who won the race and he duly took up his seat as one of Safa president Jordaan’s right-hand men after the elections.
It was his penchant for making outrageous remarks that ensured he never got to stay in the job for long.
After he was suspended as Safa vice-president, he was also asked to vacate his position as the chairman of the African Nations Championship organising committee and was replaced by Molefi Oliphant in December last year.
Safa’s financials will also be on the agenda tomorrow and CEO Dennis Mumble will report a R10-million profit after reversing the R46-million deficit from the previous financial year.
The move back into the black was aided by the implementation of a series of measures that reduced costs. The signing of lucrative sponsorships also helped the books.
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